On 24, Powers Boothe plays a vice president who is not at all based on Dick
Cheney. Really.
** U.S. AND ISRAEL SCALE BACK WAR GAME. US and Israeli forces have scaled back a biennial joint military exercise for this month. Called Juniper Cobra, the exercise involves the launching of American and Israeli anti-missile salvos. But this year, fewer forces are involved and more computer simulation is being employed. The face-off with Iran is at a particularly tense moment, with a second US aircraft carrier battle group in the region and the UN Security Council slated to vote this week on further sanctions against Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.
** 24’s NEFARIOUS VICE PRESIDENT. In an interesting plot twist, Powers Boothe plays the new vice president of the United States on 24. Who after a series of terrorist attacks — seemingly directed by Islamic jihadists, but not really — pushes for suspension of the Constitution and the roundup of citizens of Arab descent. Did I mention that he covers up the near assassination of the president, who resisted his tactics, by members of the administration, and blames it on an Islamist who actually tried to prevent it? Or that, with the president incapacitated, uses his trumped-up scenario to threaten a Middle Eastern state with a nuclear attack? What will Rush Limbaugh say about his favorite show?
** OBAMA ROCKS THE BAY. Senator Barack Obama had a big, rollicking rally yesterday in downtown Oakland in the elevated plaza in front of city hall. Obama is an extremely good public speaker. I’ve never seen a candidate draw crowds like this at this stage of a presidential campaign. The Oakland Police Department, according to KCBS News Radio, estimated the size of the crowd at 7,000. Rally organizers claim 12,000. It all depends on your perspective. My perspective was that of somone looking to create a panoramic video of the entire crowd and Obama, which led to a lot of climbing around giant planters and lighting arrays.
So I can tell you that because of how the stage was set up — too low — much of the crowd that came couldn’t see a thing. My guess is a few thousand people left as a result. More to follow.
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18 Comments
1. Jonas Blane:Why is Obama drawing such big crowds? He isn’t saying anything that remarkable.
Mar 18, 2007 - 9:45 am 2. Ann:Quite the mob scene for little Oakiland.
Mar 18, 2007 - 10:22 am 3. Ann:Are you sure that isn’t Dick Cheney on “24″? lol
Mar 18, 2007 - 10:55 am 4. Sacramento Solon:No, couldn’t be Cheney. No one has yet to be shot while duck hunting!
Mar 18, 2007 - 11:02 am 5. Bill Bradley:How did that UCLA game turn out?
Mar 18, 2007 - 11:49 am 6. Capitol Boy:Schwarzenegger’s rally at the Capitol before the recall was bigger.
Mar 18, 2007 - 12:19 pm 7. Sacramento Solon:I think the team from Westwood won 54-49. However, the scrappy crew from Indiana gave their fans much to be proud of. Lots of guts and made a wonderful comeback that almost brought them the victory.
Mar 18, 2007 - 12:25 pm 8. Jonathan Hemlock:The Obama rallies are two to four times as large as the Dean rallies.
Mar 18, 2007 - 1:04 pm 9. Sacramento Solon:Ran across the following in today’s NY Times. Think you will enjoy the read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/sports/basketball/18glass.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Mar 18, 2007 - 1:17 pm 10. Bill Bradley:So glad UCLA won that major showdown of cultures at the NCAAs.
Mar 18, 2007 - 2:07 pm 11. Sacramento Solon:Bill,
It was actually a great clash of wonderful basketball traditions. Not many schools are in the same class as UCLA and Indiana when it comes to hoops.
It was a good game. Bruins had a chance to blow them out. But the Hoosiers refused to fold and almost caused the Bruins to leave ARCO with tears in their eyes. As it is, and as I scribed last evening and earlier today “IU showed tons of talent and guts. Much for their fans to be proud of”.
Sort of game where you hate to see one team leave with an “L” logged on their record.
Mar 18, 2007 - 2:25 pm 12. Jonas Blane:No explanation of Obama’s crowds?
Mar 18, 2007 - 4:27 pm 13. Sacramento Solon:Obama is a new voice. A refreshing voice. People have heard Hillary for years. Same goes for Edwards and many others.
Mar 18, 2007 - 4:42 pm 14. Bill Bradley:More tomorrow.
>Jonas Blane :
Mar 18, 2007 - 5:42 pm 15. Barbara:No explanation of Obama’s crowds?
Mar 18, 2007 04:27 PM
Obama:
I think the crowds are about laws of attraction…biology predisposes us to choose the partner with the healthiest genes…this is all about survival…the huge crowds, the interest, the excitement…I think we are telling him in a subliminal way that we think he is healthy…i.e., healthy for us on an individual level and also healthy for the country ……it is all about survival…survival in this new century…this new world…he feels right to go into the unknown with…and that is where we are going …whether we like it or not or even admit or not… that is where we are going….and we want to go with someone with his mind …the mindset trumps experience in this new world …I love Obama’s mind… the way he uses language both in speaking and writing….it is a nimble and intellectually fine-tuned mind, a lucid and eloquent mind….very important for this century when it comes to leadership …I think if the country has the good sense to elect him, we show we are ready to embark finally onto a new century which is ushering a whole new world… and he is the ultimate Kick starter! …geesh! does the US need a kick starter!
IU V UCLA…it was a great game! I screamed my adorable heart out…had great seats, great fun!…and this week’s weather! perfect!..for riding, for the river …for everthing! just the fire …but otherwise …glorious!…Toodles!
Mar 18, 2007 - 6:14 pm 16. Jonathan Hemlock:These are terribly large crowds Mr. Obama is drawing. Yet he is saying nothing terribly arresting.
Mar 18, 2007 - 9:46 pm 17. Barbara:NWN:The face-off with Iran is at a particularly tense moment…
Not so sure…I think Iran may be taking on more of a subplot role in the region very shortly …Israel may provide some real drama in the next 2-3 weeks due to internal stories …which could lead to the Israel/ Palestinian Conflict/ Peace Settlement taking center stage AGAIN …this time in a new and improved format… provided by who else?! the Saudis! hopefully very soon, the world will be introduced to a new Israeli Government with a newly installed PM , the current FM Tsipi Livni….
Mar 18, 2007 - 10:14 pm 18. Bill Bradley:It is very interestng that the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem announced today (18th) that the US will allow contacts with non-Hamas members of the Palestinian National Authority’s Hamas-Fatah coalition government (forged in Mecca a few weeks ago, another brainchild of the Saudi’s). This comes on the heel of yesterday’s (17th)announcement of the new Palestinian government, a coalition government of Hamas and Abbas’s Fatah party, which let the Israeli Gov spokesperson to immediately state “Israel will not recognize or work with this new government or with its members” Today, they softened the statement a bit to say PM of Israel will deal only with Abbas when appropriate…But the US is taking a slight but clearly defined detour away from being in lockstep with Israel’s position… which no doubt Israel noticed…and for sure the Arabs noticed too!…meanwhile, Shimon Peres just gave public support to the “Saudi Peace Plan” which Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have re-named the “Arab Peace Plan” with Israel and claim they will push it at the Arab League Summit this month on the 28-29….btw this is the same plan that was pushed in 2002 at the Arab league Summit which was rejected by Israel at the time…however, that was before the US invaded Iraq …
Interesting.
Mar 19, 2007 - 6:31 am